Anonymous wrote:I've paid so we will ride it out. But for the parent that speaks for the rest of us at FCB, you obviously hang out with the other snowflakes. They are really professional, but it's almost to the point where it is really too much for a soccer environment.

Overall the talent isn't very high and maybe in a few years they can train some of this kids up, but for now the aren't very many top talents in the club. I haven't talked to any Ex-DA player families so I think that's just a comment to artificially inflate the image of FCB. I was the one spending my time in williamburgs getting our asses handed to us. As I mentioned in my post, it's not about win/losses, but they did not look like a travel team or even a team that has trained for 4 months.

Before you attack, it is my opinion, my money, my son so I have the right to voice my opinion. If you like the program then stick with it. Unless I see something different, we are done at the end of the program.

Anonymous wrote:I've paid so we will ride it out. But for the parent that speaks for the rest of us at FCB, you obviously hang out with the other snowflakes. They are really professional, but it's almost to the point where it is really too much for a soccer environment.

Overall the talent isn't very high and maybe in a few years they can train some of this kids up, but for now the aren't very many top talents in the club. I haven't talked to any Ex-DA player families so I think that's just a comment to artificially inflate the image of FCB. I was the one spending my time in williamburgs getting our asses handed to us. As I mentioned in my post, it's not about win/losses, but they did not look like a travel team or even a team that has trained for 4 months.

Before you attack, it is my opinion, my money, my son so I have the right to voice my opinion. If you like the program then stick with it. Unless I see something different, we are done at the end of the program.

Anonymous wrote:What you guys are describing is nothing more than good customer service and fulfilling the services that were promised at the outset. We've been fed sh*t from travel clubs this entire time that when we have a coach that takes time to know the kids he has under him/her, we end up talking it up as if every TD is expected to behave like an @$$hole and not care about the players whose parents pay the travel dues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there are very few parents that will tell you the “truth” of a program for many reasons, many with rationale parts overlapping

-during the year for fear of admission of the situation incongruous of payment/results
-just dont know comparisons due to lack of knowledge or ignorance
-different expectations due to kids abilities
-dont want to speak negatively
- differing attention or favoritism from coach
-positioning on field during matches
- priorities and importance of certain aspects of training
-etc

seriously, its ok to hear the sides of many, first person and secondhand, and if you dont agree.. ok,

we know one poster is supposed first hand and the other is supposed second hand, i’ll take each, and i really want to hear both. The more info the better, i want to be an informed consumer. The more we all talk, the better the programs ability to get appropriate feedback and improve stakeholder expectations.

Well, parents don’t deal at all with coaches or technical staff at Barca. Absences and injuries are communicated through 1 central email address and relayed to technical staff. We love it because the ass-kissers and politics have zero place. Parents aren’t allowed near the players at training. Parents can’t run up to the coaches and whine. There is no dropping in or meeting with staff. The TD makes the decisions. Performance is evaluated by the TD and 12 UEFA Spanish coaches and they decide training groups, etc. I can tell you not a single parent Ive met in the stands thinks they know more than these guys so they are relaxed with the knowledge that the technical staff know what they are doing and will place and move their sons/daughters appropriately throughout the year. Everyone here knows development isn’t always in a linear fashion. There are no stupid color teams hindering developmental groups or age/gender limitations. Kids rotate through different positions. Frankly, 2.5 months in and the kids and parents can’t tell anything about the meaning of the different groups and they are constantly changing and different coaches are reviewing them all of the time. Very FAIR which my kid responds to well. Each and every kid, no matter ability, gets the exact same coaching, and opportunities unlike lower teams in big clubs.

So, again, the fear of recrimination isn’t there like the asshole US coaches that want people to fawn all over them and ass-kiss and dad to show up in his soccer gear to show how much he knows.

My kid loves it. He has spent a good amount of time training overseas and does not want to go back to an academy or travel team next year. He loves the Escola and the training staff. Hard work and skill and good attitude, not Mom and dad donating money and ass-kissing determine movement.

They aren’t just looking at ball skill—soccer IQ factors very highly. The FCB Escola are all over the Word and all follow the exact same ethics. Staff from the realLa Masia in Barcelona were here recently doing quality control and making sure procedures were being adhered to. Btw, the residential FCB academy in Arizona entered DA. The Escola from around the world have teams compete in an International tournament in the mini Estada.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there are very few parents that will tell you the “truth” of a program for many reasons, many with rationale parts overlapping

-during the year for fear of admission of the situation incongruous of payment/results
-just dont know comparisons due to lack of knowledge or ignorance
-different expectations due to kids abilities
-dont want to speak negatively
- differing attention or favoritism from coach
-positioning on field during matches
- priorities and importance of certain aspects of training
-etc

seriously, its ok to hear the sides of many, first person and secondhand, and if you dont agree.. ok,

we know one poster is supposed first hand and the other is supposed second hand, i’ll take each, and i really want to hear both. The more info the better, i want to be an informed consumer. The more we all talk, the better the programs ability to get appropriate feedback and improve stakeholder expectations.

Well, parents don’t deal at all with coaches or technical staff at Barca. Absences and injuries are communicated through 1 central email address and relayed to technical staff. We love it because the ass-kissers and politics have zero place. Parents aren’t allowed near the players at training. Parents can’t run up to the coaches and whine. There is no dropping in or meeting with staff. The TD makes the decisions. Performance is evaluated by the TD and 12 UEFA Spanish coaches and they decide training groups, etc. I can tell you not a single parent Ive met in the stands thinks they know more than these guys so they are relaxed with the knowledge that the technical staff know what they are doing and will place and move their sons/daughters appropriately throughout the year. Everyone here knows development isn’t always in a linear fashion. There are no stupid color teams hindering developmental groups or age/gender limitations. Kids rotate through different positions. Frankly, 2.5 months in and the kids and parents can’t tell anything about the meaning of the different groups and they are constantly changing and different coaches are reviewing them all of the time. Very FAIR which my kid responds to well. Each and every kid, no matter ability, gets the exact same coaching, and opportunities unlike lower teams in big clubs.

So, again, the fear of recrimination isn’t there like the asshole US coaches that want people to fawn all over them and ass-kiss and dad to show up in his soccer gear to show how much he knows.

My kid loves it. He has spent a good amount of time training overseas and does not want to go back to an academy or travel team next year. He loves the Escola and the training staff. Hard work and skill and good attitude, not Mom and dad donating money and ass-kissing determine movement.

They aren’t just looking at ball skill—soccer IQ factors very highly. The FCB Escola are all over the Word and all follow the exact same ethics. Staff from the realLa Masia in Barcelona were here recently doing quality control and making sure procedures were being adhered to. Btw, the residential FCB academy in Arizona entered DA. The Escola from around the world have teams compete in an International tournament in the mini Estada.

Anonymous wrote:there are very few parents that will tell you the “truth” of a program for many reasons, many with rationale parts overlapping

-during the year for fear of admission of the situation incongruous of payment/results
-just dont know comparisons due to lack of knowledge or ignorance
-different expectations due to kids abilities
-dont want to speak negatively
- differing attention or favoritism from coach
-positioning on field during matches
- priorities and importance of certain aspects of training
-etc

seriously, its ok to hear the sides of many, first person and secondhand, and if you dont agree.. ok,

we know one poster is supposed first hand and the other is supposed second hand, i’ll take each, and i really want to hear both. The more info the better, i want to be an informed consumer. The more we all talk, the better the programs ability to get appropriate feedback and improve stakeholder expectations.

Anonymous wrote:there are very few parents that will tell you the “truth” of a program for many reasons, many with rationale parts overlapping

-during the year for fear of admission of the situation incongruous of payment/results
-just dont know comparisons due to lack of knowledge or ignorance
-different expectations due to kids abilities
-dont want to speak negatively
- differing attention or favoritism from coach
-positioning on field during matches
- priorities and importance of certain aspects of training
-etc

seriously, its ok to hear the sides of many, first person and secondhand, and if you dont agree.. ok,

we know one poster is supposed first hand and the other is supposed second hand, i’ll take each, and i really want to hear both. The more info the better, i want to be an informed consumer. The more we all talk, the better the programs ability to get appropriate feedback and improve stakeholder expectations.

Anonymous wrote:Just quit, both of you, I keep on clicking on this thread thinking something new is going to be worthwhile reading, but it's nothing, just sh*t.

Anonymous wrote:We're all better when everyone can speak their own thoughts and opinions.

If there is anything negative to say at all, you always bring the "troll" card.

No one is concerned about your kids, do you get that? We're all looking for the best for our kid at an affordable(relative to HHI) price. We can't possibly check out every single program, so I would actually encourage posters to speak theor minds, who knows, one poster may have a positive opinion.

Anonymous wrote:Ive spoke with many who know the club well and please don't fool yourselves. this is simply another club (franchise) here to simply make money. no shock they set up in a well to do area and most of the families can afford it . If they want to really develope the talent then why not set up where talent lives silver spring , Alexandria , etc . they kept almost all if not all kids that went to their tryout/ evaluations . the whole idea of walking out in a line behind coach isn't making a soccer player better. this club is no different than the loudons Arlington bryc mclean etc. its just in its beginning stage. lets all take a picture of the entire u9-u10-u11-u12 teams of theirs along with the same teams at the other premier clubs I mentioned . In 6-7-8 years lets look at the same kids . results will be the same maybe out of all the total clubs together 6 or 7 elite college.kids and if they get lucky 1-2 kids will play some level of pro soccer. That fact that this "miracle" of a club set up shop in an area where they know the club will profit financially whether they produce talent or not . is a red flag. why not setup shop in a more poverty stricken area to look for talent to develop like they find in the favelas of Brazil . this is simply another pay for play club only with a franchise plan set up shop in several us cities and collect $$$.